The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-12-17

for the first time.
Sloane was an Ohio boy, and ! made
his acquaintance and chummed with him
in Andersonvillc prison. We went
West together after the war, and at
that time he was only % years old. He
was 5 feet z. inches high, weighed $50
pounds. and Was the strongest man !
ever saw outside of professional
wrestler or cannon-ball tosser. His
flesh was so hard that he could crack
walnut on his leg. On two or three oc-
casions knew him to break the bones
in mans hand by a single grip. He
took no training of any sort, but the
strength and ruggedncss were born to
him. As IL not satisfied in making him
a young hercules, nature gave him the
most wonderful nerve and courage. He
once told me that he would give 800 TO
realize for five minutes what fear was.
| saw him in some of the hottest places
a man could get into, and never saw
him falter or hesitate or make mistake
in doing just the RICH; thing.
One afternoon, after we had finished
IN some business in Dallas and were
ready to go, we entered a saloon. II
was full Of gamblers, cowboys and rough
characters generally, and every man
wore a revolver in plain sight. We
were slipping our drink when burly, big
rutfian, who was a fighter from way
back, Intentionally fell against Sloane
with considerable force. and then stood
off and leered at him and said:
I'm waitin' fur We to AK my parding
for that, banty."
Sloane never carried q weapon Of any
sort while in town. He looked the fell
low over in cool and quiet way, and
finally asked:
"Did you intend to insult me, sirf'
'Tnsult yer echoed the other. ''Who
talks of insults! Why We little game
cock from somebody's barnyard, I'll
give We two minits to get down on your
knees to me-"
"If you do not beg my pardon before
! finish this glass;" replied George, 81
will make wreck of you."
BY this time everybody in the saloon
had crowded around US, and it was easy
to see we had no friends there. There
was something in sloane's eye and tone
which cautioned the big fellow, and if
left to himself he would have retired
from the scrape. But he was egged on
and braced up by the crowd who achcd
to see row, and he stepped back a lit
tie, drew his revolver. and growled.
Now, banty, get down on your mar
row bones, or you'll take dose OF
lead"
sloane leaned on the bar with his cl-
bow and slipped his wine slowly, paying
no further attention to any one. He was,
perhaps, a minute and a half finishing
his glass, and durin- the last half MN
u:e he was covered by the Tan's IT.
volyer. Wien he set the glass down he
wiped off his mouth, returned the hand
kcrchi.f. ana then turned and advanced
u-oa the ru.;1n. The man fired point
blank at his head. cut of lock Of hair,
aad the bullet Killed the harte ndcr
Before he coUld fire again George scizci!
Him, one hand o. lis throat and IL,
other on his knee, lifted him high in the
air, and he'd him thus for ten seconds.
Then he gave the body fling upon
some whiskcy barrels ten feet away. II
was an astonishing feat of strength, ana
the silence o; death fell upon the room.
When il was broken il was ny mai
who had tip-tocd over u the barrels t.
look at the rui!iaE, and who huar,ci,
whispered:
Great heavens. Tom i as dead US /:
fish"
81 h" was. The iron fingers hat
chokcd the life cut rf lin as he was helc
aloft, and when he struck tho barrel al
mos, every bone in his body was broken
George stood there for ;w" long minutes
lDut.iu. from oac "a the other, and thcl
asked: